Oakland Raiders RUMORS: Michael Crabtree, Former 49ers Wide Receiver, Slated For NFL Free Agency Visit?

The Oakland Raiders are reportedly high on a number of projected first-round wide receivers in the 2015 NFL Draft, but that may not stop them from making another addition to their stable of pass-catchers via NFL free agency.

Per a report from Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree is set to visit the Raiders next week.

Crabtree, a talented former first-round pick, hasn't garnered much of a free agent market to this point, though there's no telling how much of that is based on a lack of interest from teams around the league or simply his asking price in relation to his output thus far in his NFL career.

After hitting the open market in March, Crabtree has reportedly visited only the Miami Dolphins. According to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, he was originally said to be seeking a deal in the $9 million per year range.

Since being selected 10th overall by the Niners in the 2009 NFL Draft, Crabtree has proven little more than an injury-prone possession receiver at the professiona level.

He seemed steadily on his way to validating his high draft pedigree as his catches and yardage totals increased yearly from his rookie season to 2012, when he amassed 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns.

An injury-plagued 2013 season saw his numbers dip to 19 catches for 284 yards and one touchdown in just five games of work, and last season wasn't much better, as he corralled just 68 passes for 698 yards and four touchdowns.

There's no questioning that Crabtree has talent, it's simply a matter of whether or not it's too late in his NFL career for him to fully realize that natural ability.

The Raiders, unfortunately, have little in the way of quality pass-catching options for young franchise signal-caller Derek Carr, so from a talent standpoint alone, Crabtree would be an upgrade on the likes of James Jones and Rod Streater.

Whether that would translate to production on the field for Crabtree and Oakland though, would be entirely questionable.

Still, if his asking price has dropped, it could be a nice potential low cost-high reward type addition for Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Jack Del Rio and would in now way preclude them from taking a player like West Virginia's Kevin White or Alabama's Amari Cooper early in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Tags
NFL Free Agency, Oakland raiders rumors, Michael crabtree, 2015 NFL Draft, Amari Cooper, Derek carr, San francisco 49ers, James Jones, Reggie mckenzie, Jack del rio
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